Pakistan’s first hand-drawn film, ‘The Glassworker’ gets featured in the ‘Work In Progress’ category at France’s Annecy International Animation Festival 2022 and we couldn’t have been prouder!
Insight Into The Film:
The film is making the entire nation proud even before its release! Directed by Usman Riaz, ‘The Glassworker’ is among the eight films selected for the ‘Work in Progress’ category in France’s Annecy Animation Festival 2022. Besides that, it is the first hand-drawn film in Pakistan produced under the banner of Mano Animation Studios. Not impressed yet? Well, we have more to share! One of the film’s producers is going to be the highly acclaimed Spanish producer, Manuel Cristobal who has produced seven feature films, five of them are animations, and has won three Goya awards in the best-animated feature category!
The Glassworker’ is an original story about young Vincent and his father Tomas, who run the finest glass workshop in the country and find their lives upended by an impending war in which they want no part. The arrival in their town of an army colonel and his young, talented violinist daughter, Alliz, shakes their reality and tests the relationship between father and son.
Instagram (@manoanimationstudios)
‘The Glassworker’ is a family film and an across-the-tracks love story in a war-torn and divided country, narrating the story of Vincent and Alliz and how their love is challenged by opposing views of their fathers and war. How will they both navigate through times when love has no place in the world, that remains to be the question yet to be answered!
The movie is set to release in 2023 worldwide. As we wait for the masterpiece to unveil, watch the teaser for yourself here:
About Mano Animation Studios:
Based in Karachi, Pakistan, Mano employs a select group of talented artists. The team has built a collaboration network that extends to Malaysia, the Philippines, Japan, Peru, Argentina, the United States, and the United Kingdom. The members of the talented team include the co-founder and the director, Usman Riaz, assistant director and art director Maryam Riaz Paracha, and producer Khizer Riaz.
Here is a bit of behind the scenes video of the team at work:
The Team’s Reaction To Their Film Getting Featured At The Festival:
After a collaborative effort from the whole team, the film yielded impressive results prior to its release. The team is very proud and elated to see their efforts bear fruit. Here is what they have to say:
Usman Riaz, the director had this to say:
“It is an honor to represent Pakistan at Annecy 2022. Only 8 exceptional feature films are selected from all over the world for Annecy’s ‘Work in Progress’. To have our first feature film, ‘The Glassworker’, on the same stage as so many incredible and inspiring animated films that have come before us is genuinely humbling.”
Credit: Instagram (@manoanimationstudios)
Sofia Abdullah, the Head of Character Design said:
Credit: Instagram(@manoanimationstudios)
“Growing up, I’ve always been inspired by the medium of animation-finding myself in awe at how it can express deep sorrow, and create great joy. I am truly honored to be a part of this journey to take ‘The Glassworker’ to the world through Annecy. It has been a true labour of love and I am grateful we are able to showcase everything we have to put into our work.”
The Animation Director, Aamir Riffat had this to say:
Credit: Instagram (@manoanimationstudios)
“It’s time for Pakistan to shine at the global stage and get the kind of attention we deserve. I am truly proud and couldn’t be happier to be a part of something that has allowed this to happen. I can’t wait for the audience at Annecy’s Work in Progress to see the amount of love and hard work we’ve poured into every aspect of ‘The Glassworker’.”
About The Annecy International Animation Festival
The Annecy International Animation Festival takes place annually in France in the month of June. According to their website, ‘Over the course of its 60 years, the Annecy Festival has established itself as a global event dedicated to animation, bringing together the most esteemed professionals from the sector to celebrate animation’s creative and diverse styles and techniques.
Each year at the festival, ‘The Work in Progress’ titles are presented which ‘give you the chance to discover the various stages of the animated feature and short films, Series and XR Works in production’. Many known films have been featured in this category including: ‘Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse’, ‘Klaus‘ and ‘How to Train Your Dragon 2′ among others.
‘The Glassworker’ – directed and written by Usman Riaz, and produced by Manuel Cristóbal, Khizer Riaz, Alliz Espi under the banner of Mano Animation Studio is one to look out for! We wait for the film to release internationally in 2023 and for the Pakistani and international audiences to appreciate local talent, eventually opening new avenues for more talented artists like these in Pakistan!
